O'Pen Bic

Lots of good points as ever TT and let's face it any boat offered as an alternative to the Oppie (or any other established kids starter boat) in an awful lot of countries is going to be a tough sell.  However, there are, for example, a lot of Aussies and Kiwis who have become quite good sailors inspite of the lack of the Optimist in their waters so it is by no means the only boat you can learn to sail in...

 

As most club sailors will testify, you don't HAVE to only race other identical boats.  Sure it's more fun in one way, but having a personal choice of boat you like and fit is also good.

Having learnt double handed in picos, my kids refused point blank to get in anything as nasty as an Oppy - and dropped out of racing as a result.

Terras, opens and optis could easily sail together if only the RYA weren't so blinkered.  Likewise toppers & picos, and lasers & splash/flashes.

If the "don't split the fleets" fans got their way, we'd all be sailing espensive clinker built tubs (competitively of course!)

   rant over..

Originally posted by NickA We'd all be sailing espensive clinker built tubs (competitively of course!)    rant over..

The Merlins had quite a good turn out at their nationals this year ...

Kids love Oppy sailing, and why not? It's simple, forgiving and 'easy' to sail but provides miles of scope for the kids who really want to go racing - you'd be hard pushed to find a class anywhere which offers bigger fleet experience at such a young age.

As for learning to sail and race in old classes being a questionable decision, I think it's good that new classes are being introduced but we shouldn't overlook the great benefits offered by the Oppy, Mirror, Topper and Cadet, namely:

• Low cost of entry - you can pick up a 2nd hand boat cheap
• Low cost of progression - you can pick up a competitive race boat 2nd hand
• Simple rig = concentrate on the sailing and tactics
• Simple rig = no "arms race"
  

I know there's lots of specialist bits for these classes but they don't make that much difference to actual time round the course compared to boat handling and tactics - you'll lose more time trawling your spinnaker on your mirror than you would make up by having the most expensive foils in the class history.

There's a good side to all the tweaky kit as well - check out the keen racers at your club, they love the carbon tiller extensions and custom mast fittings - we love 'em on our boats because you can't be a racer if you don't love the tinkering that goes with - it's a stepping stone to the physce that you develop to be successful - if you think you're going to do well because you're confident in your boat, you most probably will beat the team with their heads in the boat wandering about the water coming in round the leaky bailer!

The Open Bic is the latest in a long line of boats to come and challenge these established favorites - most have failed to establish themselves this side of the channel because clubs have organically developed a 'nursery' system based around the established boats - the message should be, join a good club and enjoy yourself.

The Oz and NZ boys and girls who grow up on the old classes there seem to do just fine once the few who continue to international level start competing against our young sailors.

The new technology boats make a real difference when you hit the teens - I was bored silly by the idea of 420 sailing but if someone had showed me and my mates the 29er we'd have bitten your arm off - instead we got into second hand Nat 12's, Fireballs, Cherubs, IC's and Moths because you could pick them up for around £500 and blat off across the lake in a cloud of spray without needing a small gale to get going!

Just been doing some Oppy training today and I realised one of its
shortcomings - the lack of a self-draining cockpit. Capsize one and you're
buggered until you've bailed all the water out.

Phil